In about a year's time, the Earth would turn into a burnt and lifeless rock.

大约一年内，地球就会变成一块烧焦，无生命岩石。

Below him it seemed there was a precipice equally steep, but behind the snow in the gully he found a sort of chimney cleft dripping with snow water down which a desperate man might venture.

在他下方，似乎同样陡悬崖亘眼前， 但在沟壑积雪后面， 他发现了一条似烟囱裂缝， 雪水滴落其间， 一个不顾一切许敢冒险一试。他发现实际攀爬起来比看起来要容易， 最终到达了另一片荒凉高山草地， 接着，经过一段并无特别难度岩石攀爬， 来到了一片陡树林斜坡。

And so this person would take this piece of inanimate rock and use it to do something valuable.

因此，这个会拿起这块无生命岩石，利用它去做一些有价值事情。